Bound To Be Mates

11. Gifted One

When I wake up, I can barely breathe. I'm in wolf form, and my chest really, really hurts. I've never felt this kind of pain before, and it makes panic set in.  I crack open my eyes and look around. I'm hiding in an outcropping of rocks across from a river, concealed from the view of anyone passing by. 

Shaking my head, I try to stumble to my feet, but my front left paw buckles out from under me, and I collapse back down to the ground with a pitiful whimper.  

What happened? 

My wolf is growling. I can hear her inside of my head. She sounds really angry and bitter. I don't think she's ever been this upset, ever. I wonder why, but it seems she's blocked her memories for the last two hours or so from me.  

I force myself to my feet, ignoring my trembling limbs. Limping over to the stream, I try not to let my left front paw touch the ground. It hurts to do that.  

Collapsing again on a flat rock by the river, I peer over the edge to look at myself on the water's surface. Oh God, I'm covered in so much blood! And I can smell that it's all mine! 

My chest, just under the base of my throat, has been ripped open, obviously by sharp claws or teeth. I look down at my paw to see it slowly snapping back into place, meaning the bone must have been broken. At least it's healing; it must have been a clean break. But why isn't my chest healing? I've lost so much blood; it's amazing I'm still alive... 

I slump against the rock, ignoring how my blood stains it bright red, like my fur. This is crazy. Why on earth have I been attacked? And by who? Last I remember, I was with Jango and some girl tackled me. I remember hitting my head, and remember seeing my blood, but everything after that is black, until now.  

So what happened? 

My body trembles with the strain of staying in wolf form. But I can't shift back into human form just yet, and my wolf seems unwilling to give up this form. If I shift back, the damage will be much greater, and I don't know how deep the wound will go. In human form the heart is much closer to the front of the body than it is in wolf form, meaning that while the wound may be deep in this form, it doesn't reach my heart, but in human form it probably would. 

My mind goes to all the possibilities. Who would attack me? I don't think it was the girl, she wouldn't be able to do this much damage. If my wolf took over, the raw instincts I seem to have should have been enough to overpower her, but I'm the one that's injured. I can't smell anyone else's blood, either.

Just mine. A lot of mine. 

But she was the only one there, besides for me and... 

Jango! 

But why would he attack me? H-he wouldn't, would he? Oh God, my head hurts now. 

And strangely, my heart hurts a hell of a lot more.

"You need to be more careful." A familiar voice cautions. 

I jump, blinking and whirling around. Wait, since when was I in human form? Didn't I pass out by the river? What's happening now? 

"Oh just calm down." The voice sighs. 

My voice.  

"W-who are you?" I croak weakly, rubbing my throat with a hand. 

"My name is Saskia." 

"Saskia." I repeat, tasting the name on my tongue. It's so pretty... 

"It's common courtesy to give someone your name once you have theirs." 

"Oh. Right." I mumble, cheeks heating up as I look around for the source of the voice. "Lyrissa. My name's Lyrissa."